Akatsuki Admiration Race
by Yuna Yami Mouto
Summary: sequel to Akatsuki Art Competition. Ever since his colleges saw him sleeping, Itachi couldn't find a moment's peace without someone staring at him. At first, he ignored it but then they started breaking into his room... He really needs a better lock.


**Akatsuki** **Admiration** **Race**

 **Summary: sequel to Akatsuki Art Competition. Ever since his colleges saw him sleeping, Itachi couldn't find a moment's peace without someone staring at him. At first, he ignored it but then they started breaking into his room... He really needs a better lock.**

 **A/N: Hi! Here's the promised sequel to the Akatsuki Art Competition. It's meant to be funny but I'm not sure how funny it is. I wasn't even sure if I was going to write this but then I decided to give it a shot. I hope you guys like it. And I would like to remind anyone who hasn't read my note I added as a second chapter to the** **prequel** **of this story that I am looking for anyone who would like to draw the Itachi sleeping from the Akatsuki Art Competition. I would like to place it as either the cover for this story or as the cover for A. Art Competition. If any of you are interested, you can even draw the one from** _this_ **fic. All those who participate will be mentioned, of course, and** **receive** **due credit. Once again, you can send me the address of the picture in either a message or in a review if you don't have an ffn account. I'd really** **appreciate** **it! And I'm thinking of giving the winner the honor of requesting one Naruto story (SasuNaru, KakaIru, KisaIta, SasoDei, FugaMina or no pairings at all, your choice). So please participate. I would be honored if one of you were to answer this not so small request.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this short story and I would love to hear from you! Tell me what you think, okay?**

 **Enjoy!**

When it first happened, neither Itachi nor Kisame paid it much mind, as they were quite used to the stares of other people. Itachi had spent his whole life as the center of attention, no matter how small his deeds were in his everyday life and Kisame had gotten used to the stares of admiration and appreciation that followed his younger partner wherever they go. It was really normal for them to walk down a street and have everyone - men and women, children and old geezers and all those in between - stop what they were doing to stare at the rather beautiful looking Itachi. The Uchiha wasn't exactly happy about the attention but he couldn't tell them to stop gawking, either, as he was too polite and Kisame often found humor in his discomfort.

That is, until someone approached Itachi and tried to make a move on him. Kisame usually chased him away in seconds before the raven haired teen could even open his mouth to speak. It was normal. That was their normal routine.

However, what _wasn't_ normal was when their fellow Akatsuki members started joining in the staring crowds whenever Itachi walked into a room. It had been rather unnerving the first time it had happened, as Itachi had expected them to declare him a traitor or to be told that he has to do an infiltration mission in a public whore house, so he had reacted rather defensively, causing everyone to look away. The second time it had happened, Kisame had actually stepped in front of the fourteen year old and shielded him from their view with his larger body. He was surprised at the glares he got in return but he hadn't faltered in his stance all the same. The _third_ time they caught them all staring at Itachi, the Uchiha had activated his Sharingan and the Akatsuki members scrambled away in record time.

They had thought that would be the end of the strange stares.

They had thought wrong.

Ever since the day the Akatsuki members had first seen Itachi asleep in the living room in the way he had been, they have grown a bit ... obsessed with seeing it happen again. However, Itachi wasn't a lazy person and it was really hard to pinpoint when he will be relaxing - preferably sleeping - and be there to see it happen. So the rouge ninja organization decided that they would, without a doubt, stalk the Uchiha in order to see it happen again. Only problem with their plan? They didn't really plan on it.

Each of the Akatsuki members decided to stalk Itachi on their own so they often ran into each other during their stalking sessions, alerting the Uchiha to their presence. Well, not that he _hadn't_ already sensed them. He had just chosen to ignore them until it became impossible. Really, they were ninja. They should know better than to start fighting each other like preschool kids once they caught sight of each other. They would just start fighting and suddenly, Itachi had to stop in whatever he was doing as explosions or some other signs of battle rattled the ground under his feet, the water in his glass or the walls of whatever building he was in. After the _fifteenth_ fight, the Uchiha - devoid of any of his usually limitless patience - would snap at whoever was fighting and threaten to Amaterasu them. That usually earned him an _eep_ (in the case of Deidara, Tobi and Hidan) or a grunt (from Sasori, Kakuzu and Orochimaru) before they vanished as quickly as he could. If he was busy eating or training, Kisame had taken up the habit of keeping watch and sending everyone on their marry way with a few Water Bullets then spending an hour complaining about their crazy fellow Akatsuki members.

But like how they had gotten used to other people's staring and unwanted attention, the two partners eventually got used to the weirdness that was having the Akatsuki stalking them.

That is, until they crossed the line and started breaking into their shared room while they were trying to sleep.

It didn't happen right away. Kami knows they would have been dead if they had even so much as _tried_ to enter their bedroom the first day when Kisame and Itachi caught them staring. The two had been _very_ unnerved when they realized they were being stared at by their usually uncaring fellow rouge ninja. Well, Kisame grew _annoyed_ rather quickly after he realized it was _Itachi_ they were ogling, but mostly because he knew _why_ they were doing it, too. The point was still the same and the staring and stalking only got worse when this new obsession even became some sort of competition, a race!

And Pein thought their art debate was trouble.

It had all started off when Kakuzu got a new camera. The rest of the Akatsuki had been there when the money loving man had returned from his day off with a new professional camera in hand and took a quick picture of the assembled group to teat it out. Satisfied with how it worked, the oldest man left his confused colleges behind and exited the room, remaining unseen for the rest of the evening. Hidan didn't even bother to check if his bed was empty or not when he entered their shared room, as he was too tired to deal with his weird partner and so he just plopped onto his bed, asleep as soon as his face hit the pillow.

Kakuzu, however, never came back into their room that night, instead trying to sneak into Kisame's and Itachi's bedroom in order to put his new camera to good use. He had started off at the branch of a tree a little ways away from their window and was content with the pictures he could make. He had a perfect view of Itachi on his bed as he slept and he was satisfied after making twenty pictures with different positions of the moon as his only light and whatever little expression change the pale teen made in his sleep. The next morning, he disappeared into the nearby town until late at night, looking haggard but immensely pleased with himself as he showed off the money he had made. Hidan immediately started yelling at him for going off bounty hunting without him but Kakuzu hit him over the head and took him to the side to explain how the money was earned. Just _one_ of the pictures he made was worth half the bounty put on Hatake Kakashi's head and it was easier to get than capturing and killing the Copy Ninja. Hidan hadn't believed him and demanded he go to the town with his partner again the next day to see it for himself.

Wanting to do even better, Kakuzu got bold enough to crouch on the two's windowsill that night and it earned him a whole different angle and picture quality. He snapped even more pictures before he had to leave when Kisame stirred in his sleep. He had to return to his work room and work on the pictures he made for the rest of the night, heading out with Hidan, as promised, the next morning. When they made it into town, many people were already waiting for Kakuzu's return and all hell broke lose when they started bidding money for each of the pictures. Hidan couldn't help but stare as the feudal lords raised the stakes to such highs that any more and they would be in danger of going bankrupt. But none of them seemed to care as they payed happily for the pictures. By the time the last picture was sold, Hidan and Kakuzu were both grateful for their immortality as those people could be _vicious_ when fighting over something they want so badly. Hidan didn't blame them, still remembering the Uchiha in his black and red kingdom when they had all first seen the Uchiha asleep.

Kakuzu repeated his little photography sessions for a few more nights before one fat, insanely rich noble offered enough money to cover the bounty on _Itachi's_ head if they could get an even better, clearer picture of the man in the pictures. None knew Itachi's name or heritage or background but they were taken in by his looks and they all ogled him whenever he and Kisame passed through their town for their missions. Hidan had gaped at the price offered while Kakuzu swore he actually died and went to the heaven he had never believed in before.

So, that night, Kakuzu and Hidan _both_ went to the Uchiha's bedroom door and did their best to sneak in to get the desired pictures, but they must have made some noise because Itachi had sat up in his bed and they made the mistake of looking into the blazing, red Sharingan eyes. Their screams and whimpers woke up the rest of the Akatsuki members and they all ran to the source, ready for battle, only to stop short when they saw a scowling Itachi with arms crossed over his bare chest (it was the middle of July and very hot, even during the night) as he overlooked Kisame - also bear chested but they had seen that enough times not to care anymore - throwing out the whimpering piles that were Kakuzu and Hidan outside of their bedroom's door. The youngest member glared up at them with his Sharingan still active and they fought to scramble away until the Uchiha turned around and marched back into his room. Kisame followed after him, but not before kicking the two idiots for waking them up in the middle of the goddamned night.

No one bothered to help them back to their beds and just left them there the whole night, but Kakuzu and Hidan got back at them by not sharing in on the money they made for their brave, if foolish, efforts. It turned out that Hidan had somehow managed to jam the button on his camera (since they were making so much money, Kukazu figured one more wouldn't hurt) and the camera had been stuck taking picture after picture the whole time. It was the noise that woke up the Uchiha but the device managed to capture all sorts of pictures of Itachi! Including the one where he was shirtless and the one when he had just woken up in the moonlight, his eyes glowing like two deadly rubies. They taunted their fellow admirers with glimpses of the photo - Hidan did it, as Kakuzu thought it to be beneath him - until Deidara decided to go into town and steal one of the pictures from the rich fatso that ordered this last batch of pictures.

And since he nearly got caught and was saved by his partner, the blond had to share it with Sasori.

The picture inspired a reckless side of Deidara to try and pursue the same hobby that Kakuzu and Hidan had, only he decided he would make perfect clay figurine of Itachi in various positions. Of course, he then came across the very big problem of pinning the Uchiha down long enough for him to be a reliable model for the sculptures. So he started stalking the Uchiha all day long. Itachi would have breakfast and Deidara would be there, staring at him as he ate his rice. Itachi would head out for training and Deidara would stick around in the threes surrounding the area he was using for practice. Of course, he had to keep a look out for Kisame and to be cautious with keeping his presence concealed less he wanted to end up like the last two who had dared disturb Itachi's peace. Itachi would sit down to read something and Deidara would sit across him, fiddling with his clay and casting glances at the Uchiha. It's one of those sessions of Itachi's reading that gave the first fruit of Deidara's labors and the blond had been so excited that he had forgotten the Uchiha was in the room with him. So imagine his surprise when he heard Itachi commenting that it was pretty good with a small smile. The sculptris had went beet red as the raven haired man left the room, having finished whatever it was he was reading and only later would Deidara come back to his senses. If Kakuzu had passed through there when the Uchiha had smiled, he would sell the picture for twice its worth on the market the next day.

Deidara had grown very fond of that sculpture and started carrying it around everywhere. One day, he started fiddling with it every time he was deep in thought and that's how one man saw it. With just a glance, he recognized the sculpture as Itachi and immediately asked how much Deidara would take for it and money wasn't the problem. Deidara had refused, saying that the sculpture was dear to him but the man insisted until Deidara snapped that he didn't sell his own art just like that. That got the man interested and he suggested that the blond started selling because he was really talented and had the perfect model. He predicted that he would become super rich, maybe even more so than the two selling photos almost every day (he meant Kakuzu and Hidan, of course) for his work. Hidan, of course, heard he and his partner had competition so he told Kakuzu what the man had said and Kakuzu promised the man he would get the first copy of Deidara's sculpture.

The money loving Akatsuki then made Deidara spend an entire night making one hundred copies of that same sculpture, insisting that if he didn't, Kakuzu would sell the first one, and so the next morning, Deidara was bombarded just like Kakuzu and Hidan were every day with requests and the bidding of money. When people saw the very realistic sculptures of their mysterious idol (Kakuzu's and Hidan's little business had somehow started up the second Uchiha Itachi fanclub in the town and almost everyone was a member), they went crazy and by the time the day ended, their robes were in shreds when they returned to the base. Pein and Konan had arched an eyebrow upon seeing them but they didn't ask.

Of course, there was the new demand for more and different sculptures so Deidara started intensely stalking Itachi. He made three more figurines - one of the man while meditating, one while he was training and one of him when he was polishing his katana - before Kakuzu and Hidan decided drstic measures were needed. They all knew it was only a matter of time before Itachi got sick of Deidara following him around all the time so the two immortals dragged the blond with them on the second invasion of Itachi's and Kisame's room at night. Of course, they never suspected they'd walk in on Kisame kissing the hell out of his partner but Kakuzu still managed to snap a picture before Hidan was cut in half with the Samehada and Kakuzu and Deidara had to take each half and run for their lives as an enraged and a highly aroused Swordsman of the Mist chased after them with murderous intent.

That picture, with Itachi all flustered and disheveled, along with the sculpture of the sprawled out Uchiha (Deidara didn't even bother to put Kisame in the sculpture) made them enough money to make up for the various injuries they got.

However, it wasn't quite enough for Hidan and Kakuzu to deal with a very pissed off Sasori.

The Suna rouge found out just _what_ happened to make his partner almost _useless_ during their mission the next afternoon and he was _not_ happy. Hidan made a deal with the puppeteer, though, by offering him up three free pictures if Sasori would cover them should either Itachi or Kisame get real pissed at them. Sasori had looked at the pictures, his eyes had nearly fallen out of his head and he agreed. Kakuzu was not pleased with the deal but he would rather give out three free pictures than lose the money they got from the blond's sculptures. So they continued their 'expeditions' to the shark's den and they kept running back to hide with Sasori when Kisame came after them. But one of those times is what accidentally got Sasori involved, too.

After all, while he may have been able to curb the need to risk his life in order to try and make Itachi into a puppet, that hadn't stopped his admiration for the beauty the Uchiha possessed. And when you see a freshly showered Itachi with only a towel wrapped around his slim waist, you are bound to go crazy.

That's how Sasori became Itachi's fourth stalker. Of course, the other three didn't know about that until later, when they caught him testing out the little Itachi puppet (an ordinary one) he had made. It had taken him three near run ins with the Uchiha to get all the angles just right for everything and then he had locked himself up in his and Deidara's room (the blond was forced to sleep on the floor of his two business partners' bedroom) while he constructed, detailed and painted the puppet. Of course, as he was a perfectionist, he was not satisfied until the moment when he was caught by his blond partner and his two business associates and Kakuzu declared the puppets perfect for selling. Sasori had wanted to protest but Deidara had simply whispered a few words to him (Hidan and Kakuzu never did find out what) that had the redhead's eyes widening before he nodded dumbly and that's how he found himself the next morning in the same market - it seemed to be growing bigger and stronger with every day and the three (now four) Akatsuki members had a full monopoly over it - as his puppets were sold like hot cream puffs along with the pictures and sculptures.

And every day for the next two weeks, he came with new outfits for the puppets while he still tried to make that one perfect puppet of Itachi. The puppets he sold varied in size and the quality of wood - Kakuzu demanded they make a few cheaper ones so that the poorer folk can buy them, too, and get them more money - and some were even sold as toys to kids without strings. His business seemed to be the most profitably, mostly because he had no need to break into Itachi's room for anything, but he still got to taste the Uchiha's wrath when Deidara ran back into their own room with the Uchiha's old ANBU outfit from Konoha. He had been unable to salvage half of the puppets from the fire ball Itachi fired at them when he saw the puppets that looked like him. Usually, the youngest Akatsuki member didn't have such a violent approach to annoying things, but Tobi had been breaking into his room the whole morning to ask him stupid questions and even the 'perfect' teen had his limits.

What suffered the most from the fire were the drawings he had for the puppets and so it was back to the beginning: stalking Itachi.

Imagine his surprise when he caught Konan and Pein doing the same, one merry morning while Itachi was enjoying his dango and a cup of green tea. They were equally surprised to see him and all three of them made enough noise for the Uchiha to hear them and they had ended up in a come for the next three days.

After they all woke up, Konan and Pein confessed to having a market of their own in a different, bigger town where Konan sold her paper mache figures of Itachi. They were apparently even better off than Sasori's puppets were because Pein had made one of his Path Clones turn into Itachi while Konan wrapped them up in paper, making all the details clearly visible. He, Konan and Orochimaru then painstakingly painted the figures in the cellar beneath the Sannin's room, having assigned Tobi to keep Itachi as far from it as possible and Zetsu to be on the lookout for both the Sharingan user and his partner. Sasori was impressed with their forethought of how to keep themselves and their products safe, but that all flew out the window when Orochimaru and Zetsu decided it would be best if they manged to see what Itachi looked like asleep again so that they could replicate it later. Sasori had already told them just how the rest of them had ended up but the two hadn't listened.

Itachi showed no mercy. They both had to spend a month in the hospital for that. When asked why later, Zetsu said that they had ran in on Itachi and his partner being ... intimate, and the Uchiha was in a rather ... interesting position.

You would think that after what happened to the Sannin and the Black and White split personality guy for accidentally walking in on them, the rest would wise up and finally leave Itachi alone. Well, they had officially stated that they will and that they will stop the markets before Itachi found out about them, but that official agreement went only so far.

It's what was the beginning of the end.

Because from that moment on, it was every stalker for himself and that's how they started having fights whenever they ran into each other while following the Uchiha around. Kisame and Itachi didn't care anymore, unless they interfered with their lives directly and just let them be. After all, because they worked alone, none dared to enter their bedroom anymore, so they could finally get some sleep and ... intimacy.

That is, until old customers offered twice as much as all the money they had given so far for another very intimate picture/sculpture/puppet/paper mache figurine. That request turned their already shady and risky business into a deadly race that just couldn't end well. They became reckless and stopped thinking of Itachi as what he was - the Clan Killer of thirteen who slaughtered one of the biggest and strongest clans in a single night and they were all geniuses with the Sharingan - and started thinking of him as some sort of treasure to be admired and captured forever.

He was once again that unobtainable and perfect piece of art they had seen that day and those thoughts got reinforced when they finally managed to sneak into his room while the teen was sleeping.

He was lying on his back, one hand resting on his bared stomach from where his dark gray shirt had lifted up in his sleep, his face turned towards the opposite side of the wall. His hair was actually left down with nothing to hold it back, the silky strands spread out around his head on the soft pillow and some falling in his face. The lighting was completely different from the first time they saw him like this. He was bathed in moonlight and his pale skin seemed to glow in the light, making him look ethereal. His white sheets really didn't help. If Itachi had seemed like an angel tied down by humanly sins that time, then this time, he was free to soar should he wake up. His eyelashes looked even longer than they had that last time, although it might have something to do with them being closer this time. His full lips were parted as he slept, but no sound came out despite they could clearly see that he was breathing. The lower half of his body was covered by the white sheets and he still had his necklace on. The red ring he wore was gone, probably where the rest of his Akatsuki robes were and they couldn't catch a single glimpse of a katana, but that didn't mean there wasn't a kunai nearby.

The Akatsuki members were once again left stumped in the presence of such serene beauty, but they were officially out of luck when two ruby eyes opened slowly. Of course Itachi had sensed them and he knew the only way to trick them into looking into his Sharingan was if he lazily lifted his eyelids. And once he saw that they had, the tomoe turned into the Mangekyo Sharingan, making him look almost like a devil disguised as an angel before they were faced with hell.

At the sound of the screams that echoed throughout the whole hideout, Kisame, who had went to the bathroom, hurried back to their room, not even being really surprised when he saw his fellow Akastuki on the ground, whimpering and sobbing and whatnot while his partner stayed sprawled across his bed nonchalantly, Mangekyo still in place.

''They actually came in again?'' The blue man asked in surprise, wondering how suicidal you have to bee to enter a lion's den when you knew the lion was pissed as hell. He knew he wasn't the sharpest kunai in the pouch but even he knew not to mess with Itachi. Although that's probably because he was the only one who saw the teen in action so often.

Itachi just nodded from his position in bed.

''You want me to drag them out, Itachi-san?''

''If you would be so kind.'' The black haired male replied and Kisame immediately set to work. They stayed silent until all but Pein and Konan were removed from their room.

''What did you do, this time?'' The shark man asked curiously as he picked up their leader.

''They thought it was fun to sell personal pictures to those town folk so I made one such scenario for their organs while a million Tobis pocked them and bid for them.'' Came the bored sounding reply and Kisame shivered when he saw the rarely showed sadistic smile Itachi could at times give to scare an enemy shitless. ''It seemed fitting. I am not art, Kisame. I will not be possessed or ogled.''

''I am aware of that, Itachi-san.'' The Mist shinobi answered as he exited with the last of his burden. He came back a few moments later and made his way over to where his partner was still calmly relaxing on his bed. He knelt beside Itachi's waist, placing his hands on either side of the Uchiha's head, never accidentally pulling on his hair and he grinned down at the younger male. ''You should be admired, though, and I think they never realized until recently that I have won their admiration race before it even started.''

A black eyebrow arched curiously. ''Admiration race?''

''Yep,'Kisame leaned down and brushed his lips against Itachi's, enjoying the shudder that ran down that lithe body. ''The Akatsuki Admiration race, even more foolish than the Akatsuki Art Competition.''

Remembering that particular conversation, Itachi laughed in amusement, rewarding Kisame for his humor with one more lingering kiss. ''I think we still need to change the lock, though.''

''I'll do it in the morning,'' Kisame said as he pushed the teen down back on he bed, getting in between his legs this time and mouthing at his ear.

''That's what you said last week, too.'' Itachi answered back while he tilted his head to the side to give the bigger man more room to work with. ''And the week before that.''

''You had fun.'' The younger male sighed, not confirming or denying it, but Kisame knew he was right. ''But you're right. We need a new lock.'' He kissed down Itachi's neck to his shoulder, where he licked a bit, making his partner squirm. ''First thing in the morning.''

''It can wait a little longer,'' the raven breathed through a gasp and Kisame looked up.

''How long are they going to be in a come, Itachi-san?''

A wicked gleam appeared in those onyx eyes. ''As long as the Akatsuki Admiration Race, as you so gleefully call it, has lasted.'' And Itachi laughed again when Kisame gaped at him like a fish.

All's well that end's well and what not.

OWARI

 **r &r**


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